Advertising apparatus.



W. H. BRADLEY.

ADVERTISING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12, 1911.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. H. BRADLEY.

ADVERTISING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.12, 1911.

1,024, 1 7'7. Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

MBIA PLANouxAPH CU.,\:MSIIINGTOI\ u c W. H. BRADLEY.

ADVERTISING APPARATUS.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

4 SHEET8SHEEET 3.

APPLICATION FILED .TAN.12, 1911.

A CA A Jaw/ m 6] Home W. H. BRADLEY.

ADVERTISING APPARATUS.

I I APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12, 1911. 1,024, 1 77. Patented Apr. 23,1912.

4 SHBETSSHEET 4.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON. D. c.

WILLIAM H. BRADLEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ADVERTISING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

Application filed January 12, 1911. Serial No. 602,246.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W ILLnmr H. BRAD- LEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAdvertising Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in advertising apparatus, and moreparticularly to automatically changing signs, the object of theinvention being to provide improved mechanism for shifting signs atregular intervals so that all of the signs are brought into position fordisplay in regular order.

A further object is to provide a casing having a plurality of signs inboth ends, and means for moving a sign from one end to the other andfrom the last-mentioned end back to the first-mentioned end, all ofwhich movement is automatically controlled by a screw or worm, andimproved means for regulating the direction of turning said screw orworm, such control being entirely automatic.

A further object is to provide improve ments of this character whichwill enable signs to be readily removed and replaced by others withoutinterfering in the slightest with the operation of the apparatus, andwhich signs may be changed during the running of the apparatus ifdesired.

A further object is to provide an appara tus of this character which isdesigned for night display as well as during day light, as it may bereadily illuminated and transparent signs employed.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in.certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangementsof parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1, is a view in front elevationillustrating my improvements. Fig. 2, is a view in vertical longitudinalsection. Fig. 3, is a view in section on the line 3-3 .of Fig. 2. Figs.

4, 5, and 6, are views in section on the lines such views being on anenlarged scale. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional elevation illustratingthe driving pulleys and the belt shifting mechanism. Fig. 8, is afragmentary plan view illustrating the structure at one end of theoperating screw. Fig. 9, is a similar view of the structure at the otherend of the operating screw. Fig. 10, is a View in longitudinal sectionon the line 1010 of Fig. 9. F 11, is a fragmentary sectional elevationon an enlarged scale showing the manner of connection between theoperating carriage and one of the slides. Fig. 12, is a section on anenlarged scale on the line 12-12 of Fig. 9. Fig. 13, is an invertedfragmentary plan view of the top rails showing the sign engagingsprings. Fig. 1A, is a longitudinal section through one of thesesprings. Fig. 15, is a perspective view of one of the signs, and Fig.16, is a view in longitudinal section through a sign.

1, represents an elongated rectangular casing preferably of metal havinga front plate 2 of glass or other transparent material. The said casinginclosing the signs, their supports and their operating mecha nism, andthe transparent front 2 permitting a clear view of the signs in thefront part of the casing.

Inside of the casing, a structural frame is provided and is composed ofvertical and horizontal angle irons 3 and 4 respectively, said verticalangle irons being adjacent the respective ends of the casing, and thehorizo-ntal angle irons extending substantially throughout the length ofthe casing, but removed from top and bottom thereof.

At a point centrally of the casing and occupying the space approximatingone-third of the length of the casing, is a second frame which comprisesuprights 6 and horizontal angle irons 7, said angle irons 7 overlyingand underlying the upper and lower angle irons A respectively andforming, in effect, U-shape or channel tracks for the passage of thesigns 8 throughout the intermediate portion of the casing. At theseportions of the casing, bow springs 9 project through the angle irons ofthe frame and engage the signs with such friction as to hold themagainst accidental movement against rattling and against possibility ofbeing moved in the wrong direction by my improved carriage hereinafterdescribed.

At the end portions of the casing, the horizontal angle irons 4 areconnected by transverse bars 10 which serve as supports for a pluralityof signs 8 at both ends of the casing, and the longitudinal movement ofthese signs is cushioned by spring-pressed plates 11 as shown in Fig. 3.Gross bars 11 are located at the intermediate portion of the casingadjacent the bottom thereof, and in blocks 12 depending from said bars alongitudinally positioned screw or worm 13 is beveled. In other words,this screw, which I shall hereinafter term it, is permitted a freerotary motion in the blocks 12 which constitute bearings therefor, andon one end of this screw 3, pulleys .14, 15, and 16 are mounted, thecentral pulley 15 being keyed to the screw, while the pulleys 14 and 16at opposite sides thereof are loose on a smooth portion of said screw,so as to turn freely thereon.

In the upper part of the casing, a drive shaft 17 is located and isdriven by a motor 18. On this drive shaft an elongated pulley 19 issecured, and 011 which two endless belts 20 and 21 are mounted, the belt20 being crossed as shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 4. These belts 20and 21 are adapted to engage the pulleys 14, 15 and 16, and are moved bya belt shifting frame 22 as shown in Fig 7. This frame is pivotallysecured as shown at 23, and is provided with pins 24 to engage atopposite sides of the belts, and move either of said belts onto thepulley 15, the crossed belt 20 serving to turn the screw in onedirection, and the straight belt in the opposite direction, one of thesebelts serving to idly turn either the pulley 14 or 16 as the case maybe.

The belts are shifted automatically by means of my improved carriage 25,the transverse bar of which is made with a screwthreaded bearing 26 toreceive the screw 13, and compel said carriage to move longitudinally asthe screw turns. This carriage is provided with bars 27 and 28 whichproject in opposite directions, and are positioned below the dorizontalangle irons 4, and are each provided with pivoted catches 29 which arepressed upward by springs 30, and are adapted to engage in recesses 31in the signs 8, so as to move said signs or to ride under the signs, thecatches 29 of the respective bars projecting in opposite directions, aswill more fully hereinafter appear.

The signs 8 above referred to comprise rectangular frames, the ends 32of which are beveled in opposite directions, so that the signs willforce themselves into position and displace other signs as they aremoved by their edges and inner sides with domes 33' to reduce frictionto a minimum.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, it will be noted that an inclinedplate 34 is located at the right hand end of the casing adjacent theforward portion, so that as the signs 8 are moved from rear to front,the forward sign will be moved longitudinally toward the left inpositionto be engaged by the catch 29 of the carriage 25 as it beginsits movement to the left. At the left hand end of the casing, andadjacent the rear thereof, is an inclined plate 35 constituting a camwhich, when'the signs are moved from front to rear, compels the rearmostsign to move longitudinally to the right in position to be engaged bythe catch 29 of carriage 25, when the latter begins to move to theright. This movement to right and left is automatically controlled bythe carriage itself, engaging at one end pivoted arms 41 which shift theframe 22, and at the other extreme movement of said carriage it engagesangle plates 36 which are connected to the arms 41 by wires 37 so as tomove the belt shifting frame 22 in the opposite direction. These angleplates 36 are connected to a transverse bar of the frame by means ofbolts 38 which are positioned in slots 39 in the plates, so as to limit'the longitudinal movement thereof. If desired, an incandescent or otherlight 40 may be located intermediate of the ends of the casing, and thesigns may be transparencies, so that the intermediate signs may bedisplayed in the dark. In operation, the carriage 25 is movedlongitudinally from right to left, and.left to right by means of thescrew 13. When it moves to the left, the catch 29 on the bar 28 adjacentthe front of the casing engages in a recess 3'] in the forward sign atthe right hand end of the casing, and moves said sign along the front ofthe casing to an intermediate position, the said sign serving to forcethe intermediate sign in advance thereof longitudinally. This sign whichwas formerly in an intermediate position by reason of the cam or bevelshape of its end engaging the beveled end of the forward sign at theextreme left, will cause the series of signs at the left to be pushed tothe rear to make room for the said sign which has been pushed from theintermediate position. At the same time, the carriage reaches the end ofits movement to the left, engages the angle brackets 36, and by means ofthe wires 37 shifts the belt shifting. frame 22 anc screw 13 begins toturn in the opposite direction, moving the carriage from left to right.This movement causes the catch 29 on the rear bar 27 to engage the rearsign at the left, and move it along the back track, and

when it reaches the right, by reason of the cam shape of the ends of thesigns, this rear sign being moved, will force forwardly the series ofsigns at the right, until the carriage engages the arms 41 to move thebelt shifting frame 22 and turn the screw in the opposite direction tomove the carriage from right to left as before. The cam plates 34 and 35at the respective ends of the casing serve to move the signs at the endsof the series sufliciently to be caught by the catches 29. In otherwords, these cam plates give the signs their initial movement and insuretheir positioning for the reception of the catches. When the carriage ismoving from left to right, and carrying the sign along the rear track,the signs at the front are stationary, so that they may be readilyunderstood. The signs are loose and may be removed and replaced wheneverdesired. As a support for the bars 27 and 28 of the carriage, angle ironrails 42 are secured to the bottom of rails 4 and 7, and for theaccommodation of the catches 29, the rails 4 and 7 are longitudinallyslotted, so that these catches project readily into the recesses of thesigns, and said catches are so formed and pivoted in their recesses thattheir upward movement is limited as readily seen in Fig. 11.

WVhile I refer to the part 41 as arms, it is as a matter of fact asingle member which operated the belt shifting mechanism, but itsfunction is that of pivoted arms, and in the employment of this term, Iuse it broadly to cover any mechanism of this character for shifting thebelts.

It is simply necessary to keepthe device full of signs, that is, enoughsigns at the right hand end to fill the space in the frame, enough inthe left hand side to fill the frame, and a sign intermediate of theseries and located between the same, so that the carriage will move therearmost sign from the left hand end of the casing to the right to makeroom for the front signs as they are moved to the left, and the signsshift from front to rear solely by reason of the cam action of theirbeveled ends and their longitudinal movement is cushioned by the springplates 11 above described.

Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangementof parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I donot limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider. myselfat liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall withinthe spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having'thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with acasing, tracks in the casing, and a longitudinally positioned screw, ofmeans for turning said screw in one direction, other means for turningsaid screw in the opposite direction, signs in said casing movable fromend to end, a carriage in said casing adapted to be moved by said screwand constructed to engage the signs, and said carriage adapted toautomatically throw int-o and out of operation said operating means,substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with acasing, a plurality of signs in the casing adapted to be moved from endto end thereof, and a longitudinally positioned screw having rotarymounting in said casing, of a driving shaft, fast and loose pulleys onsaid screw, a straight belt and a cross belt connecting said drivingshaft with said pulleys, a belt shifting frame, a sign carrier adaptedto be moved by said screw, and means at the respective ends of saidscrew adapted to be engaged by said carriage whereby the belt shiftingframe is moved to reverse the direction of turning of said screw,substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with acasing, a plurality of signs in the casing adapted to be moved from endto end thereof, and a longitudinally positioned screw having rotarymounting in said casing, of a driving shaft, fast and loose pulleys onsaid screw, a straight belt and a cross belt connecting said drivingshaft with said pulleys, a belt shifting frame, a sign carrier adaptedto be moved by said screw, means at the respective ends of said screwadapted to be engaged by said carriage whereby the belt shifting frameis moved to reverse the direction of turning of said screw, and springcushioned plates located in the ends of said casing and adapted to beengaged by said signs, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with acasing, a plurality of signs in the ends of the casing, tracksconnecting the ends of the casing at front and rear, signs at frontandrear of the casing interposed between the signs at the ends of thecasing, cam plates at the ends of the casing, and means for moving saidsigns longitudinally on said tracks, and spring cushioned plates locatedin the ends of said casing and adapted to be engaged by said signs,substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, the combination with acasing, tracks in the casing, and a longitudinally positioned screw, ofmeans for turning said screw in one direction, other means for turningsaid screw in the opposite direction, signs in said casing movable fromend to end, a carriage in said casing adapted to be moved by said screwand constructed to en- In testimony whereof I have signed my gage thesigns, said carriage adapted to name to this specification in thepresence of automatically throw into and out of operatwo subscribingWitnesses.

tion said operating means, spring cushioned WILLIAM H. BRADLEY. plateslocated in the ends of said casing and \Vitnesses:

adapted to be engaged by said signs, sub- CHAS. E. Poms,

stantially as described. R. H. KRENKEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by'addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

